Iron and Blood: A Star WarsWarhammer 40k Fanfic
by MidnightGod
Summary: It has been over 100 years since the days of the Rebellion. When the new Fel Empire decides to send an exploration fleet to chart and colonise an unknown galaxy, one man, Asa Soto, Vice Admiral of the fleet, will change the fate of millions and come face to face with the greatest threat to mankind: The Imperium itself. Can he change fate or will he perish in iron and blood ?
1. Chapter 1

Iron and Blood: A Star Wars/Warhammer 40k Fanfic

Chapter One

"Five years". Hsiano Seiei, Admiral of the Fel Empire and heavy drinker, sighed in exasperation and dropped the datapad onto his desk. His almond shaped eyes seemed to grow a few extra wrinkles around them as he ran a hand through his graying and thinning hair." Five years we must spend in this forsaken wasteland of space and for what? Al long lost signal from a scout from the old Remnant days?"

Across from him stood, in crisp military uniform, a youngish officer, a captains insignia on his chest. A fresh pink scar ran down from his left eyebrow, down across his nose and across his cheek. This gave his face hard look, aided by the short military hair cut and the crispness of his dark green uniform. The only bright side to this boy was his eyes. They were golden, like a Sabre-Cat and contrasted against the darkness of his skin. Those eyes were hungry. Seiei wondered if this would be problem or an asset.

"So, son...how do you feel about this assignment to the Unknown Regions?"

"Sir". He spoke slowly and deliberately ,softly, yet loud enough to be heard. "I am happy to do my duty to the Empire and assist in any way I can, my lord Admiral."

_In other words, I'm stuck here and there isn't frak I can do about it, so I might as well suck it up, _Seiei thought_. "_You've been captain of the Assertor -class Imperial Star Destroyer _Pellaeons Peace _for two years, after only one as commander before, under the former captain. Your father." Seiei stood, moving from behind his desk. "You fought during the Rebellion of Sothor. Your home planet."

"Yes sir." No reaction. "Your father attempted to convince his men to treason. And you-"

"Executed him. Per Imperial Directive 10045/c, in regards to treason and mutiny during a a severe combat operation.. I was in accordance with Imperial Military Law and was proven right and correct by military tribunal." He looked Seiei in the eyes. "If I may ask sir, what importance-"

"Why does this matter? We are heading deep into unknown space. Far from the Empire, far from any type of support, and soon enough we will be far from the galaxy itself. We are here docked at Farpoint station, gathering the twenty-seven ships needed, but we will not be here forever. Soon we will head deeper into the unknown, heading to another galaxy. Yet we have no knowledge of it, aside from what the Chiss have deigned to tell us. We have few hyperspace routes and no outposts, bases colonies, nothing. Yet we are expected to create all of this and more within five years. I have enough ignorance of this new…world. I cannot be ignorant of those under my command." He approached the boy, and place a hand on his shoulder. "You proved your loyalty at Sothor, boy, and that you are willing and able to do what is necessary, for the good of the Empire. And for that, I am appointing you Vice Admiral of this flotilla."

For the first time, emotion touched the boys face. Confusion and hesitation clouded his face and he opened his mouth to speak. Seiei raised a hand. "You may be rather inexperienced, but you are the youngest out of the Academy of New Carida, top of your class, five commendation, two medals. No one is more fit to be by my side. I expect you to do your duty, Vice Admiral Asa Soto, son of deceased captain Atvar Soto, brother to deceased King Asmar Sotoof Sothor. You did your duty then. You will do it again." Seiei moved to return to his desk, and sat in his chair slowly, wincing slightly. He was too old for this. "Report to your ship and alert those under you of your new position. And send someone to captain the new Imperator. The old captain is too stupid, the commander too foolish. Dismissed."


	2. Chapter 2

_This is a farce_. Zarr Varceal folded her arms, iron grey eyes looking out past the large plasteel viewport that dominated the front wall of the command bridge of the _"Pellaeons Peace"._ Ensigns and operators moved about busying themselves preparying the ship. In truth most of them were new recruits, fresh out of the Academy and eager to prove themselves. Untried and unready. Zarr almost envied them. They were so naïve, they actually believed that "new life and new civilizations' drivel that the recruiters spouted. No doubt they saw this, the 1st Imperial Exploratory and Colonization Taskforce, as a prime opportunity to do just that. They didn't realize the truth.

They were heading into the dead end of space, right into some unknown, untouched probably hostile and undoubtedly alien galaxy. So far from Imperial space, any thought of a career had all but vanished. She had climbed the ranks, fighting to better than the male pilots, simply because they thought that she, the daughter of one of the Counts of Sorenno , was nothing more than a spoiled brat of a girl that would cry as soon as she got a skinned knee. Yet, just like her captain she had graduated top of her class. Her captain...

She could say she loved him. She had loved him from the day when he, unlike the other had treated her equally; just as hard, no more, no less. Once, when she had complained to him about her treatment by one of the more sexist instructors, he had simply looked at her, scowling._ " How weak are you that you need to assign blame to others for your own failures? If you fail, its because you are weak. And the weak get eaten."_

She snapped out of her reverie when she heard the snap-hiss of the bridge entrance doors and stood at attention. "Captain on deck." Those who weren't immediately occupied snapped to attention, the newer ones stumbling a bit. She turned and there he was, walking briskly with his eyes on a data-pad. He looked as he always did, to her; strikingly handsome and slightly dangerous , with a brooding look. Except this day he seemed to be brooding more than usual. As he approached her, she saluted. "Something bothering you sir?" He stopped, his eyes still on the data pad. "I have been promoted ," he said slowly, "to Vice Admiral.

_Vice Admiral?_ "Sir, thats great news! But you don't seem very happy about it."

"Happy?" He looked up from the data-pad. "I'm inexperienced, " he stated matter-of-factly. I've been bumped up two ranks, practically without reason. The captains will resent me. And if something happens to the Admiral...I".

"You're scared you wont be able to handle the responsibility." He nodded hesitantly. "Sir, if the Admiral thinks your good enough for the job, then you are. No question." For the first time in a long time, she saw his face flicker with emotion as a slight smile formed on his lips. "If you say so Captain, then it must be true." She smiled back at him, before realizing what he'd said. "Captain? Sir?" "Yes, Captain." He handed the data-pad to her." The last ship to join the fleet, besides the five_ Acclamtor II's_ for the colonists, is an _Imperator_ class, the _Stalwart Shield_. You're being given command over it. That data-pad contains your orders as well as a crew roster. You are to report there immediately." He saluted. "Good luck, Captain Varceal."

She saluted back, eyes slightly blurry." Thank you sir. Good luck to you too." As she left to gather her personal thing from her quarters, she thought to herself, _Maybe it wont be so bad after all. _

* * *

Asa Soto didn't count when he exercised. Instead, he preferred simply to think as he pulled himself up and down with one hand on the iron bar and stand that stood at the corner of his personal quarters. He didn't particularly like to exercise, but as a soldier, he had to keep himself sharp.

_A blade. The Empires blade._

Now it seemed he might be more than just a blade. Vice Admiral. Three days ago he been given this rank, and with it more power than he had ever handled before. And three days ago the Admiral had called him to his flagship and conference room, introducing him to a few of the captains: Di Ti, a blue skinned Twi-lek with a mech arm and a milky blind left eye ; Dutac, a Quarren who'd lost a few tentacles due to a scuffle with a con man posing as an Imperial Knight; Lev, a native of Bastion who was a loyal as he was men were, according to Seitei, the most trustworthy men in the taskforce and if anything ever happened and he needed help, these men were the ones to go to. And then the three Imperial Knights had walked in.

They were armored in what all Knights were;blood red armor over a black bodysuit similar to those used in pilots suits. All three were human and all three were pale white with silver, green, and pale blue eyes. Pale blue was the oldest, and the other two were younger, close to Asa's own age. The oldest stepped forward, his white hair and short beard at odds with his striking red armor.

The Admiral had risen from the conference table and introduced them as well. The oldest was Master Knight Rikke Zeal and green eyes and silver eyes were Apprentice Knights Raceal and Lanon. They were to accompany the fleet and provide their expertise. Rikke had been strange, his eyes focusing on Asa with an odd look as he stroked his beard.

Rikke. He knew the name The Master Knight who had dared to question the Emperor and the Moff Council. Details had been sketchy, but what had been known was that he had advocated the orbital bombardment of Korriban and other planets in the old Sith sector. Whats more, he was part of the bloc of hardliners who had cried for the invasion of Hutt space. Of course the Council had blocked all of this and Rikke had disappeared from the grid. They claimed that the policy of the Empire was now 'Victory Without War' and that they wouldn't invade another "states" space.

Asa dropped from the pull-up bar. He wasn't convinced. The Hutt's were gangsters and he had at least three ships full of colonists who were either fleeing Hutt bounties, Hutt debts, and some of the remaining Evocii escaping the Hutt polcy of extermination. No, the Moff's had another reason and he had a theory.

The Sith. Supposedly they were all but gone and yet there were rumors that Sith were talking to the Moffs. Why else would the Moffs refuse to raze Sith space, yet be always so ready to destroy everyone else. As if that weren't enough the Jedi were experimenting on Ossus...

He shook his head. Force-users. All they ever did was fuck up the order of things. The Sith in particular. But..

The Sith were gone. Evil had been destroyed. Purged from the Empire.

_And yet you are still here, kinslayer _

He had done his duty. He killed his traitorous father and brother. _I am the blade of the Empire._ He fell to his bed, with a slight sheen of sweat on his body. He had no regrets. None. And as he drifted off to a fitful sleep, he almost convinced himself that it was true.

_bloody hands, bloody hands. The blood stained hands of the Laibon. _

* * *

_0940,Imperial Standard Military Tine, Location: Unknown, outside of Known Space_

Asa woke with a start as the alarms klaxons on the ship sounded off. He leapt from his bed, his body cold from dried sweat and quickly retrieved his uniform from the desk near his bed and pulled it on. His comlink was sounding off and he lifted it, hooking the earpiece to his ear. "Soto here, whats the situation?"

An oddly calm voice answered. _" A spacial anomaly has appeared and currently has this ship, along with the rest of the fleet, in its grip. I suggest you hurry to the bridge sir; it seems most urgent._ With that the connection cut.

_Of course,_ Asa thought as he left his quarters and hurried down the hallway to the bridge. _Only that new Chiss commander turned captain of mine. Felka. _


	3. Chapter 3

Asa hurried to the bridge, the doors opening and the bridge crew rising to "Captain on deck". One of the blue-skinned, red eyed Chiss stood stood at at attention, an indiscernible expression on his face. "Captain," he said in a clipped voice.

"As you were. What is it Felkas?" The Chiss stood hands behind his back, his blue skin at odds with his burning red eyes.

Felkas gestured to the large clear plasteel view screen. "That, sir." That indeed. There was a sort of...rip in in space. That was the best way Asa could explain it. It was large slit of deep blue, so large that it dwarfed the entire fleet. "It seems to have a large gravitational pull and has the entire fleet in its grip."

"Why was I not informed of this earlier?" He couldn't believe that something so large would have been unseeable until now.

"It appeared from nowhere , sir. One moment, the area was empty, the next this was there."

"What has the Admiral said about it?"

"Nothing so far so, although we have been moni-"

The ship shuddered and shook tossing Asa and the Chiss to the ground. The lights fluttered slightly, but quickly returned to normal.

"Sir, something hit us from the anomaly"!, shouted one of the ensigns who had managed to hold to his station. "Are we the only ones"? Asa collected himself and stood, helping Felkas to his feet. The Chiss seemed to disregard that what had happened.

"No sir, the fleet all seem to have been hit by the same thing. And sir, its pulling us deeper into the anomaly."

"Anything from the Admirals flagship?"

"Nothing sir." The view-screen was now completely enveloped in blue. They were now literally at the mouth of the rip. Asa swallowed.

"Palpatines black bones, what is this thing?"

* * *

"Captain, there is an immense amount of pressure on the hull. We're trying to pull away from the anomaly, but...-

_Caught in the spiders web. _

"There nothing to we can do then but push on. Alert the entire fleet. Were moving into the anomaly"

Felkas looked alarmed." Sir, is this wise?"

Not at all,but..." If we try to resist, we'll be torn to shreds. If we push on, maybe we'll emerge on the other side."

"That would subscribe to the completely unfounded theory of wormholes."

Asa looked Felkas dead in the eyes. "Do you have a better idea?"

A bright flash filled the view screen and once more the lights flickered. The floor shook and vibrated against Asa's feet and he was forced to hold onto an Ensigns chair to remain standing. "The entire has acknowledged you sir!

"Pressure is decreasing!"

"Captain!", Asa heard Felkas shout, his voice ringed in an unnerving amount of panic."Somethings happening-"

Everything stood still. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak. Everything was frozen in a blue haze. Frozen.

Then IT spoke. It could only be an IT. Or a The. It was a booming Voice ,a dominating sensation, like something had gripped his mindin a vise and was trying to bore into it.

WE ARE CURIOUS.

Hurt,hurt,hurt. It hurt, it hurt, those three words and Asa knew his mind was screaming. The Voice, it was huge, dominating, powerful...and agonized. Pained and almost sad.

WE HAVE WACTHED, LISTENED. WE TASTED OF YOU AND DECIDED.

More words, more pain.

WE HAVE BROUGHT YOU HERE. OUR SPIRIT GUIDED YOU , OPENING THE RIFT, TO AID OUR ENDLESS BATTLE. WE ARE ARE ETERNAL. E SPREAD EVERWHERE AND EVEN NOW, ONLY THE TINIEST FRACTION OF OUR ATTENTION BROUGHT YOU HERE, ONLY THE SMALLEST PART TO CHANGE AND TWIST THE PORTAL, TO BRING YOU HERE INSTEAD OF THE INSTANT DEATH FOR WHICH YOU WERE INTENED.

What is your intent ,Asa thought, like a womp-rat to a bull rancor.

EXISTENCE IS TORMENT. EXISTENCE IS PAIN. EXPEL ALL COMPASSION, ALLMERCY,. AND YES, ALL JOY. ALL HAPPINESS. HERE THERE IS ONLY WAR.

Asa felt his mind being released, felt time and space shifting yet again.

IF NOT, YOU WILL NOT BE READY.

* * *

Asa fell to the ground and felt sick. His vision blurred and his head throbbed.

Felkas dropped to his side. "Sir, are you ok?"

"Yes, Felkas...I...where are we?" He looked up as his vision cleared and saw that there was no longer a large blue hole. Instead, there was the blackness of space. "Where are we, he said again.

"I don't know sir. Felkas helped him stand. "Navigation, location?" A moment passed before an Ensign from the Navigation section of the bridge spoke up. "Sir, I have no idea. None of our astrographic charts match our sensor readings. " "Check the data the Ascendancy gave us."

"I am sir. Nothing matches sir. As far as our maps are concerned, this is utterly new space."

Asa was hit with realization. " We did it, he said wearily. "We made it to a new galaxy."


	4. Chapter 4

"The Admiral is dead."

All was silent.

The newly christened Admiral Asa Soto sat quietly at what could be loosely called the head of the round table in the brightly lit conference room. He had called a meeting of all the captains and generals of the fleet, as well the Knights and the representative of the Imperial Mission, the Honorable Lus Rakhan, a blue eyed human with a bald head, and a beard as white as his skin.

"And what exactly is the cause of death?,asked Captain Lev, of the _Jagged Blade_. His tone was perfectly calm, but Asa could sense the suspicion under his tone. Asa opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off.

"Yes, _Vice Admiral_," growled Captan Rathi'el, of the _Lusankya. "_ Do tell. How was the good Admiral killed?

"Admiral Seiei, died because of a heart attack. He liked his drink. It did not like him. The stress of our...jump...seemed to have been too much for him. He perished on his command deck. As per Imperial Directive 10089/b, his first officer assumed command and restrained from causing a panic by broadcasting the Admirals death fleet wide. I stand by Captain Kes Darachs decision." Asa sat down, hoping that would be enough. He hesitantly placed a hand of the shoulder of the the brown skinned Zabrak female.

"Is it Captan now?, Rathi'el sneered. "You would give a horned sub-human a command? Aliens cannot be trusted!" There was a murmur of agreement on Rathi'els end, the captains and generals he undoubtedly had contacted beforehand.

"Is that so, Captain Rathi'el?," said Di Ti, a Twi-lek with a scarred blue eye and a mechanical left arm,an arm he now held out. "Then I suppose I gained this at the Battle of Tentlak III, for no reason. If I'm not to be trusted that is. Perhaps I even cut it myself to _appear_ patriotic." There was a slight spread of chuckles at Asa end now, and Rathi'els face flushed.

Asa raised a hand before he could retort. "Before we get into an argument over species and and..patriotism... I would like to address the true reason I called this council together, other than the late Admirals death. There is also the matter of this new galaxy. I have sent out the modified customs corvettes the scout out the immediate area and map for hyper-lanes, as well as to discover any nearby star systems. " There were some approving nods all around. Asa opened his mouth to speak again, but his personal comlink buzzed. He flipped it and raised it to his ear. " Yes?" He paused. "Ah.. thank you."

He placed the comlink back onto his belt pocket and straightened. "Gentlemen, we have received word that one of the scoutships has discovered something. Not only have they found a planet within easy traveling distance, they believe it is part of a larger binary star cluster."

The table broke into a low buzzing noise as they excitedly debated. One General raised his hand, obviously considering himself above the lowly tittering of his peers."My lord Admiral, how many worlds are contained within a star cluster, exactly?"

"On average, in our own galaxy? As many as ten to twenty worlds, not to mention moons, gas giants and the possible asteroid belt." He stood. "Gentlemen, we now hae a clear goal. We will take these worlds, for the glory of the Empire! For Emperor Fel!"

The all stood then, in somewhat unison. Their hand touched their left breast and they all chanted, even Rathi'el and his cronies.

"For the Empire! For the Emperor!"

* * *

Lus Rakhan considered himself above things like revenge, pettiness, and wrath. Yet, even he had enjoyed the look on Rathi'els face when the new Admiral had announced the discovery of the star cluster. He had never liked the man, ever since the Bombings of Kesthor. So violent, so unreasonable.

He gently lifted a steaming cup to his lips. Angels Tears, from the partly devastated world of Genna, a world that had been ravaged by the Vong all those years ago. He contemplated that, as he sat at his desk in his quarters aboard the missionary vessel, _Steadfast Faith_. He wondered if he would have been able to avert the disaster. He had, after all saved that rebellious world of Sothor from destruction. Mentoring that boy had been hard, but he had succeeded and Sothor had been shielded from much of his blind anger. He had shown him that there was another way than that of the old Empire.

And now..The true work would begin.

* * *

That..fool. That child.. That..alien-lover.

Kethi'el Varr'el was a hardliner and proud of it. His family had helped found the original COMPNOR; the men in his family had a history of serving in the ISB, the Imperial News Network,and the Fleet. He didnt hate aliens; they were inferior, pure and simple He didnt hate women; he simply understood that they were the weaker sex. That was the philosophy of the Empire. The weak follow and obey. The strong lead. And weakness was in the blood.

This Asa Soto had weakness in his blood. He had researched the Sothori people. They were practically mutants. And soon he would provoke and bring out Soto's inner beast.

Kethi'el stood on the bridge of his ship, hands behind his back and his eyes observing everything. He was the future of the Empire. And he would shape this new galaxy in his image.


End file.
